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The Las Vegas sports books had one of those epic type of weekends, where three or four years down the road when discussing some of their biggest winning weeks, they’ll always refer back to Week 3 of the 2012 season. Between Saturday’s college football action and Sunday’s NFL slate, the recreational bettor -- the type that comprises the majority of the handle -- never had a chance.

There were some instances of bettors changing their habits a little by siding with a few underdogs, but for the most part, it’s not easy for them to bet against the favorites they all know and love. Saturday’s college action saw the favorites go 17-28-2 against-the-spread, and it got even worse Sunday when almost every elite favorite went down for the count, going 4-10 ATS.

The underdogs didn’t just cover the spread, a large portion of them also won outright, which not only rakes in a ton of win through parlays, but also wipes out the bulk of all teaser and money-line plays. Fourteen of the 28 underdogs that covered in college won outright. Eight of the 10 ’dogs that covered in the pros won straight-up, an obscene amount that is nearly comparable to an eclipse occurring.

Saturday’s college action was helped by some of the top-ranked college teams not covering, such as Alabama, LSU, Florida State, and Oklahoma. Bettors also took it on the chin when they surprisingly sided No. 23 Arizona at No. 3 Oregon, taking the 23 points, only to watch their attempt at adapting to recent trends blow up in their face when Oregon rolled, 49-0 for their first cover of the season.

One of the sports books' biggest wins on Saturday was when No. 19 UCLA lost at home as a seven-point favorite to Oregon State, 27-20. The Bruins had covered all three of their games this season, and looked to be a changed team under Jim Mora Jr., putting all kinds of points of the board and covering easily, traits bettors love to see. It didn’t matter that sharp money had backed the Beavers, pushing the line from 9 ½ to 7 early in the week, because the bettors were enamored with what UCLA did the first three weeks.

When the bettors regrouped their thought process and went to the ATM to reload funds, they came into Sunday’s action full of confidence. Many reports around town say that Sunday’s handle was above Week 3 last season, continuing an upswing through the first three weeks.

In Week 2, the NFL teams showed a glimpse of how anything can happen on any given day with six underdogs winning outright. That should have been a nice introductory course on how to handle Week 3, but instead, their process went like this: the 49ers look indestructible, the Saints can’t start off 0-3, the Jaguars might be one of the worst teams in football and if they’re not, the Titans are.

The 49ers were the most lopsided one-way action of the day, laying seven points on the road at Minnesota. The majority of the betting public had the 49ers on at least one of their tickets, if not all of them, as one of the gimmes of the day. The public likes to bet what they saw last, and wiping out two playoff teams -- the Packers and Lions -- was a pretty impressive resume. The Vikings controlled the game from the outset, winning 24-13 in a game that was probably one of the least competitive on the day.

The Saints are one of the biggest mysteries of all, and this last of act of theirs, may have finally had the last bettor jumping off their wagon. Last season they covered all nine of their home games, a hard habit to break for bettors that had been cashing in on them. On Sunday, beyond not covering, they also lost in overtime, at home, 27-24 to the Chiefs, one of the least respected teams in the bettors’ mind.

Those two games alone would have been enough for the sports books to salvage a winning day. The 49ers were the root of most every parlay and the Saints were the second. But things got even better for the books. The Titans, who have looked uncompetitive in their first two games, played inspired and beat the Lions, 44-41 as 4-point ‘dogs. The Bengals were getting three points in Robert Griffin III’s home debut at Washington and won, 38-31. The Jaguars beat the Colts, 22-17 as a three-point dog with some more impressive late game heroics by Blaine Gabbert.

If a bettor had bet a five-team money-line parlay with those underdogs, $10 would have fetched $3,034, or at least got them to the books’ cap price on off-the-board parlays. It’s hard for people to change their patterns, but we have witnessed almost the same thing happen the past two weeks.

Is it likely to continue? Probably not, it could just be one of those things the sports books loves that keeps bettors guessing. What is likely to happen is as soon as bettors start sided with the dogs more, the cycle will shift, lines won’t be as inflated, and the favorites begin to go on a run. When that happens, the books won’t be as hurt as much in the past because a portion of their patrons will have come up with new strategies to try and beat the number.

During the afternoon games, we started to see a shift in the public betting patterns as they sided with two underdogs, the Cardinals and Falcons. Granted, both aren’t your average underdog, but both were getting three points and found lots of support. Even though those wins were small consolations on the day, the bettors didn’t have anything live going into them so instead of paying 20-to-1 on a five-team parlay, they maybe only paid out 10/11 on a straight bet or 13-to-5 on a two-teamer.

By the time the big Sunday night came out between the Patriots and Ravens, bettors were either busted or had to run to the ATM again. Wouldn’t you know it, the majority sided with the Ravens laying 2 ½ points. The Ravens won 31-30, but didn’t cover. The books win again and it was the ultimate cherry on top of the days‘ sundae, a weekend that will be hard to top for the remaining 14 weeks.

Hang in there folks, it will get better.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

Two weeks are in the books this season with mixed results all over the board. Green Bay bounced back from a disappointing opening week loss to San Francisco with a Thursday night triumph over Chicago to even its mark at 1-1. The Packers trek to the Pacific Northwest for a meeting with a Seahawks' squad that continues to hold up their home-field advantage after a Week 2 blowout of the Cowboys.

Under Pete Carroll, the Seahawks own a 13-5 ATS record at home since his arrival in 2010 after Seattle dispatched Dallas, 27-7 as three-point home underdogs. Seattle's special teams set up two scores out of the gate, including a blocked punt returned for a touchdown to grab a 10-0 lead. Russell Wilson put together an efficient performance in his first NFL win, completing 15 of 20 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown, while Marshawn Lynch ran all over the Dallas defense for 122 yards.

Wilson secured his job as Seattle's starting quarterback for another week with the Week 2 victory, denying a Packers reunion with Matt Flynn, who signed with the Seahawks in the offseason after four seasons in Green Bay. Flynn's former team avoided an 0-2 start by beating the rival Bears, 23-10 as five-point home favorites. The Packers managed the win without top receiver Greg Jennings, who missed the game with a groin injury, as the former Western Michigan standout is listed as 'probable' on Monday. Aaron Rodgers hooked up with his second favorite target, Donald Driver on a 26-yard touchdown strike to give the Packers a commanding 23-3 lead and their first victory of the season.

The Packers leave Lambeau Field for the first time in 2012, as Green Bay won seven of eight road contests last season. The lone loss by Mike McCarthy's team came at Kansas City as 11-point favorites in a 19-14 setback, while the Pack finished 4-4 ATS on the highway. However, Green Bay put together a perfect 4-0 ATS mark as a road favorite of six points or less, which is the pointspread range for Monday.

The Seahawks keep finding ways to produce for backers at home, including a 6-1 ATS record since the start of last season as an underdog at CenturyLink Field. Seattle beat Baltimore and Philadelphia outright in 2011 when receiving points at home, while hanging tough in covers against Atlanta and San Francisco. The Seahawks posted a 1-5 SU/ATS ledger in Carroll's first season off a home win, but improved to 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS last season in this situation.

Amazingly, the Packers were featured on Monday Night Football just once in 2011, a season after winning the franchise's fourth Super Bowl. Green Bay sliced up Minnesota, 45-7 as 13-point home favorites in Week 10, but the Packers own a dreadful 1-6 SU/ATS in McCarthy's tenure in Monday action away from Lambeau Field. The lone victory in this span came at Denver in 2007, as Brett Favre hooked up with Jennings on an 82-yard bomb to start overtime in a 19-13 triumph as three-point underdogs. Rodgers is 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS in road Monday affairs since being named the starting quarterback in 2008.

Seattle has won each of its last four home Monday night games the last six seasons, including a 34-24 victory over Green Bay in 2006 as 9 ½-point favorites. Granted, this number is a bit skewed since Mike Holmgren won three of those games when the Seahawks were a consistent playoff team. However, the Seahawks did beat the Rams last season on a Monday night in December, 30-13, as eight-point 'chalk.'

The Packers are listed three-point favorites at most spots, but the juice is at -120 at that number, while several books have Green Bay set at 3 ½. The total is listed between 46 ½ and 47, as the game kicks off at 8:30 PM and will be televised nationally on ESPN.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

Seattle looks for a rare win over Green Bay when the teams meet Monday Night at CenturyLink Field.

Since the turn of the century, the Packers have won six of seven meetings in this series, going 4-1-2 ATS. The Seahawks just dominated the Cowboys in a 27-7 win at home last week, and now they’ll have a chance to surprise a Green Bay offense that isn’t quite hitting on all cylinders yet. The Pack did get some extra prep time after playing a Thursday night game last week, a win over Chicago behind a great defensive performance. They’ve faced two top-notch defenses in San Francisco and Chicago, both at home, and their offense has managed as many turnovers as touchdowns (three). Seattle is playing conservatively on offense with rookie QB Russell Wilson under center, but its defense has been excellent through the first two games. The Seahawks have the best Monday Night Football record in the history of the league at 17-8 SU (68%).

Can the Packers prevail in a tough Monday night environment? For the answer, connect to The Platinum Sheet for all the StatFox Experts picks for every NFL game throughout the 2012 season and playoffs.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has been pretty good against Seattle in his career, completing 62% of his passes for 445 yards, 3 TD and 0 INT in two starts. He’s struggled somewhat to begin the 2012 season with 6.9 YPA, 3 TD and 2 INT, while taking eight sacks. Last year, Rodgers threw for 9.2 YPA, 45 TD and 6 INT. One of the reasons his numbers are down is because top WR Greg Jennings hasn’t been healthy. He missed the last game with a groin injury and is questionable to suit up on Monday as well. TE Jermichael Finley has been the team’s most-targeted pass catcher, but he has a mere 73 yards on these 17 targets. WR Jordy Nelson (16 targets) leads the team with 148 yards, while Randall Cobb has caught 10 of his 11 targets, but has gained just 97 yards. Green Bay’s ground game more than doubled its production from Week 1 against San Francisco (45 yards) to last Thursday versus Chicago (106 yards), but the team also carried the ball twice as much. The Packers forced four Bears turnovers last week, which helped contribute to the paltry 168 total yards they gained on the day. Green Bay has the league’s best pass rusher in OLB Clay Matthews Jr. who has tallied an NFL-best six of his team’s 11 sacks so far this season.

Wilson showed much better poised last week (112.7 QB rating) than he did in his NFL debut against Arizona (625 QB rating). He completed 15-of-20 passes for 151 yards, 1 TD and 0 INT in the drubbing of Dallas. Wilson knows his offense is not powerful enough to overcome his mistakes, which is why he’s more of a game manager than gunslinger. Wilson will also be more comfortable with the likely return of starting LT Russell Okung, who missed last week due to a bruised knee. The Seahawks will continue to pound the football with bruising back Marshawn Lynch. He already has 207 rushing yards this season (3rd-most in league) with an NFC-most 47 carries. He has faced Green Bay just once in his career, posting a pedestrian 64 yards on 17 carries (3.8 YPC) in a 34-7 loss in Week 2 of the 2010 season when Lynch was with Buffalo. With Lynch on offense and a stout front seven on defense, the Seahawks are crushing their opponents on the ground, outgaining them 297 to 92 in the two games. Seattle has forced two turnovers in each of its two contests, but has not been strong in pass defense, surrendering 457 passing yards and 6.0 YPA. That doesn’t bode well against the potent Green Bay air attack.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks: Forecasts are calling for a 20 percent chance of showers at CenturyLink Field. Winds will be light out of the north.

Betting news and notes

- The Packers are 3-0-2 ATS in their last five meetings with the Seahawks. The over is 3-0-1 in the last four clashes between the teams.

- Baltimore (-185) has won nine of 14 games against Toronto this season, including all five at home.

-Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera is 16-for-32 lifetime with two homers against Royals starter Luke Hochevar. Detroit is a -270 favorite over Kansas City on Monday night.

- The status of Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton is still fuzzy due to sinus issues that have affected his vision. Hamilton has missed five consecutive games and is doubtful Monday versus the Athletics.

-Winners of seven of their last eight, the Diamondbacks have recorded 33 runs and 48 hits over the first three games of their series with the Rockies. Arizona is a -149 favorite and the total is set at 10.5 for tonight’s contest.

-White Sox starter Chris Sale has posted a 1.20 ERA while going 8-0 in his last nine starts at home. Chicago is a -243 fave over the Indians tonight with the total set at 8.5.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

-- Last time football Cardinals were 3-0 ('74), Gerald Ford was President.

-- Dating back to last year, Redbirds are now 10-2 in their last 12 games.

-- Bronx Bombers are 0-55 when they trail after 8 innings; every other big league team has at least two wins in that situation.

-- Brandt Snedeker won the TOUR Championship, cashed $11.4M for his week's work, and for winning the Fed Ex Cup. Pretty nice week.

-- Dusty Baker got released from the hospital and is home resting, so good news there.

-- 10 days to go in baseball season, three series. If the playoffs started on Monday morning, these would be the participants.
NL: National-Reds-Giants. WC: Cardinals @ Braves
AL: Bronx-White Sox-Texas. WC: A's @ Orioles

**********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday..........

13) Games don't get more bizarre than Detroit-Tennessee game; Titans scored TDs on a kick return, punt return, and fumble return, but also gave up two TDs in last 0:18 of regulation, so the game wound up 41-41 in OT. Then things got really strange............

12) Titans kicked a FG to go ahead 44-41, but under a new rule, Lions got the ball once with a chance to tie/win game. Faced with 4th-and-1 at Titans' 7-yard line, Detroit lined up to try and draw the Titans offside, but due to confusion, the center snapped the ball and the Lions were stopped short of the first down, and the Titans won.

If Detroit had just kicked the field goal, game would've continued in the old sudden death format, but they tried to get cute and they got burned.

10) Jets were especially putrid in the red zone, scoring one TD, kicking three FGs in five red zone drives. San Diego fumbled on both of theirs in an awful 27-3 home loss to Atlanta.

If anyone has a clue of what Jets try to do on offense, let me know, because I can't tell. They've undermined Sanchez by bringing in Tebow, but they don't use Tebow. They don't play like a well-coached team, and now if Revis is done for the year, they're going to need a more productive offense.

9) Chiefs were down 24-6 in New Orleans, sitting at 0-2, so things were bit bleak for the Chiefs, but Jamaal Charles ran around left end for 91-yard TD, and Kansas City scored the last 21 points of the game, shocking the Saints 27-24 in OT. Head-coachless, GM-less New Orleans is now 0-3.

Charles' long run was Kansas City's only TD of day; they kicked six FGs.

8) Saints have given up 1,432 yards in three games, 3rd-most in league history after three games, less than '06 Texans (1,451), '79 Colts (1,452).

5) Indianapolis kicked a field goal with 0:56 left to grab a 17-16 lead, but Jacksonville struck on a 80-yard TD pass on the next play, pulling out a dramatic 22-16 win at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy.

Both Jaguar TDs scored on one-play drives (59-80 yards).

4) Raiders' come-from-behind win was first time in nine years Oakland won when trailing by 10+ points in 4th quarter. They had lost 49 such games in a row, so good win for Dennis Allen, the day after he turned 40.

3) Houston QB Matt Schaub actually lost part of his ear when a hard hit knocked his helmet off; TV announcers wouldn't say it, but its stupid to have a radio transmitter inside these helmets. Doesn't make things safer.

2) Detroit-Tennessee game was first game in NFL history with five TDs of 60+ yards. Titans even pulled off another Music City Miracle.

1) My heart goes out to Ravens' WR Torrey Smith, whose younger brother died in a motorcycle accident late Saturday night. Smith played and scored a couple TDs Sunday night. Tough times for the young man and his family.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tale of the tape: Packers at Seahawks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Take a quick glance at the tale of the tape for Monday night’s showdown between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks.

Offense

The Packers’ offense has gotten off to a slow start, but QB Aaron Rodgers could be a man on a mission after having his leadership skills called out earlier this week by TE Jermichael Finley’s agent. Wide receiver Greg Jennings sat out last week's game versus Chicago with a groin injury, but returned to practice earlier this week and is questionable Monday.

Seattle RB Marshawn Lynch has certainly stepped up as the leader for his team, amassing 207 yards and a touchdown while dealing with the lingering effects of a balky back. Rookie QB Russell Wilson is commanding a passing attack that is averaging a league-low 136 yards per game.

Edge: Packers

Defense

The Packers enter with the second-ranked pass defense in the league. The Green Bay secondary came up huge last week, picking off Bears QB Jay Cutler four times. LB Clay Mathews is giving opposing QBs nightmares, opening the season with six sacks, the highest total in the league.

The Seahawks boast the second-ranked rushing defense in the NFL, allowing an average of just 46 yards per game. The Seattle defense held Tony Romo and the high-powered Cowboys offense to just seven points in Week 2 and only 49 yards on the ground.

Edge: Seahawks

Special Teams

Packers punter Tim Masthay connected on a 27-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tom Crabtree on a faked field-goal attempt that helped spur last week's victory over the Bears. That was the team’s second special teams TD of the season following Randall Cobb’s 75-yard punt return for a score against San Francisco in the season opener.

The Seahawks also scored a special teams TD on a blocked punt in their win over the Cowboys last week. Additionally, the unit recovered a Dallas fumble on the game’s opening kickoff that was turned into a field goal.

Edge: Packers

Word on the street

“You start with your offensive line and quarterback, that's the biggest stress point in my mind when you play in loud stadiums. The perimeter players have to keep their eye on the ball. Aaron (Rodgers) does a very job with cadence, in loud stadiums and in our own stadium. It's something we put a lot of time into as far as our cadence, and not just training one quarterback and one center. It'll be a big challenge, something we've been preparing for all week.” – Packers coach Mike McCarthy on the crowd noise in Seattle.

“I think that he is one of the truly special ‘effort’ guys in the league. He’s quick, he’s strong, he’s instinctive and all of that, but what separates him is that he’s relentless.”--Seahawks coach Pete Carroll on Clay Mathews. Carroll also said he plans to keep a tight end on Mathews to block and will have his running backs chip him before going out on a route.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

After splitting their first two games at Lambeau Field, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers will take their high-octane offense to the Pacific Northwest for a Monday night date with the Seattle Seahawks. Rodgers wasn't even the star of the show in the Packers' last game on Sept. 13 as the defense flustered Jay Cutler and the NFC North rival Chicago Bears in a 23-10 triumph. Seattle's defense wasn't too shabby in its own right last week, keeping Tony Romo and Dallas under wraps en route to a 27-7 victory.

As for Rodgers, the Packers quarterback is used to being the target of opposing defenses. This past week, however, the league's reigning MVP was on the receiving end of a jab from Green Bay tight end Jermichael Finley's agent, who used his Twitter account to take aim at Rodgers' leadership abilities. Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch has certainly stepped up as the leader for his team, amassing 207 yards and a touchdown while dealing with the lingering effects of a balky back.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE: Packers -3, O/U 44.5.

WEATHER: Forecasts are calling for temperatures in the low-70s with a 20 percent chance of showers. Wind shouldn’t be a factor.

ABOUT THE PACKERS (1-1): Greg Jennings sat out last week's game versus Chicago with a groin injury, but returned to practice earlier this week. The talented wideout, however, was held out of practice on Thursday following a setback in his recovery and is uncertain in his return for Monday game. Running back Cedric Benson responded to criticism following a paltry season-opening performance to rush for 81 yards in Week 2. The backfield, however, will likely be crowded with the return of last season's leading rusher James Starks, who has been plagued by a nagging turf toe injury.

ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS (1-1): While coach Pete Carroll would be well served to utilize Lynch and keep Rodgers and company off the field, rookie quarterback Russell Wilson will still need to come up timely plays. The former Wisconsin star, who beat out ex-Packers backup Matt Flynn for the starting job, will need to cast a wary eye on NFL sacks leader Clay Matthews (six sacks). Seattle has enough trouble throwing the ball as it is, averaging a league-low 136 passing yards this season.

TRENDS:

* Packers are 3-0-2 ATS in their last five meetings.
* Over is 3-0-1 in the last four meetings.
* Seahawks are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five Monday games.
* Packers are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following an ATS win.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. The Packers haven't fared well on Monday nights since Rodgers took the helm of the club. Green Bay is 0-4 when playing away from Lambeau Field.

2. Seahawks WR Sidney Rice suffered an apparent head injury during the third quarter against Dallas. Rice returned to the contest and was not listed on the
team's injury report this week.

3. Green Bay has won the last three meetings versus Seattle and six of seven dating to 2003. The clubs have split their four games in the Pacific Northwest.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

As the crowd noise rises in CenturyLink Field, the total for Monday night’s game between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks falls.

The over/under number has been bet down from as high as 47.5 points to as low as 44 heading into Monday’s primetime game in Seattle. As of Monday, nine of the 15 Week 3 games have finished below the number.

According to Jay Rood, sportsbook director for the MGM Mirage in Las Vegas, the smart money has come in on the under but, as is the case with most standalone games, there is no shortage of over bets made by the public. The total is currently sitting at 45 points.

“I think the best unit on the field right now is Seattle’s defense,” Rood told Covers. “They’re playing at the highest level, compared to Seattle’s offense, Green Bay’s offense and Green Bay’s defense. If you believe that, the 46 and 45 points seem too high.”

Rood also points to the Packers' once-potent offense, which is averaging just 247 passing yards per game after putting up 307.8 yards an outing last season. Star QB Aaron Rodgers hasn’t played to his MVP-caliber level, tossing three touchdowns to two interceptions and touting an 89.9 passer rating -14th in the NFL.

Green Bay also has a laundry list of ailments for some of Rodgers’ top targets, like Greg Jennings, Randall Cobb and tight end Tom Crabtree. All three are expected to play through injuries Monday.

Rood doesn’t expect the spread, which stands at Green Bay -3, to move from the key field-goal number, even though the majority of wagers are coming in on the favorite.

“If I believe it’s going to be a short game, and I do, looking to go to 3.5 could be detrimental,” he says. “If it lands on three, everybody kisses their sisters and goes home. If we go to 3.5, then we’re on the hook for a side.”

The Packers are 3-0-2 ATS in their last five meetings with the Seahawks. The over is 3-0-1 in the past four encounters between these teams.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

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